Always You
by alex-halcyon
Summary: [AU. Age-swap] Kakashi x Sakura. From academy days to the third shinobi war and beyond, Kakashi and Sakura grow up and fall in love.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This was supposed to be a one-shot, but it's turned into something a bit longer. I've been feeling really weighed down by my other stories, since the subject matter is pretty heavy and heading into a darker direction in both _Willing Sacrifices_ and _Reparations._ So to counter that, I've written some lighter content, although for some reason it always turns out to be more dramatic than I intend. **

**Anyway, this is a short (probably 3-5 chapter) Kakashi x Sakura love story.**

 **It's an AU Age-Swap (** **Sakura and Rin basically have switched places - but Obito does not love Sakura).** **So some parts of Sakura's personality are slightly different, but she's still very similar. Also, it's a different time with the war and stuff, so she grows up differently with different priorities. But in any case, it's my AU, and I can do what I want haha.**

 **I hope you enjoy it.**

 **alex xo**

* * *

 *** ALWAYS YOU *  
** **ONE**

* * *

 **6 years old - Sakura  
** **Academy Student**

* * *

Sakura had watched her classmate with awe. She'd kept her interest hidden, however, knowing that there wasn't much point in expressing it. Kakashi Hatake wasn't what you would call 'social,' or even polite when it came down to it.

Their first year at the academy, she'd been amazed at how skilled he was and how his prowess motivated the other boys in their class. Sakura hadn't really understood what it meant to be a shinobi until she saw the way they worked hard to be better. Not necessarily better than _him_ (except Obito, who was incredibly competitive with Kakashi), but he was a place they all hoped to reach one day and having his example in their minds helped.

Taking Might Guy, Obito Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake as examples for how a shinobi should be, Sakura began to work hard on her own as well. She was too embarrassed and shy to train in front of other people, so when she was in class she made certain to study hard and watch the others and see what they did, and listen closely to the instructions of their sensei. She made her notes in a little notebook she never let out of her sight, and then she applied it to her own training in the forest and away from prying eyes.

Sakura wasn't surprised that Kakashi graduated at the end of their first year. No one was really, he was so far advanced. She wasn't really good friends with anyone in the class, she was just a little quieter than the others, so while they celebrated Kakashi's graduation in a group she stayed on the outside and smiled at him when he randomly glanced her way.

When she went home that night, Sakura pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down his name, sticking it in a book to hide it, just in case someone got the wrong idea. He was her new goal; she wanted to be a good enough shinobi to stand beside him as a comrade and be someone he could respect.

* * *

 **6 years old - Kakashi  
** **Academy Student/Genin**

* * *

Kakashi was proud of himself for graduating as the youngest student ever. He deserved it, after all, he was a prodigy - but, he still worked himself harder than anyone else. He trained more than the others, except maybe that quiet girl with the pink hair.

Kakashi had noticed her quiet yet rapid improvements and seen how focused she was. He was also not blind to the fact that she watched him a lot. At first, he thought it was because she was like one of those other girls, the annoying ones who only ever talked about boys. He knew she was book smart, being the one who always scored second after him on their theory tests, but he hadn't realised that she was also studying her classmates.

One afternoon he'd seen her sneaking away into the forests after their lessons were over, he grew curious and discreetly followed her. He watched her, hidden away in the trees, as she glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching, and then entered a little area inside the hollowed-out trunk of a tree. He'd waited a while until she came out, and then he watched her as she trained, sometimes referring to the little notebook she carried around at the academy. He realised that she was attempting to apply techniques that some of their classmates used in taijutsu. He recognised some of his own, and Guy's, and even Obito and Asuma's.

He watched that first time with fascination. When she left for the day, Kakashi came down from his tree and investigated what was inside the tree trunk, and was surprised to find there were books in there, far more advanced than anyone else in the class was reading, that had obviously been read many times over. They were all about chakra control and theory, some medical texts, some were about ninjutsu and taijutsu and genjutsu.

Kakashi quickly realised that no one in the class really understood her. She didn't speak much, and some of the others thought she was rude. Kakashi paid more attention to her after that, but not in a way that anyone else noticed, and figured out that she was just shy. He followed her to watch her training every now and again. Part of him wishing to go down and help her, but something always stopped him. Even at the academy, he never found the courage to approach her.

On the day he graduated, when everyone was surrounding him and congratulating him, Kakashi noticed that she was hanging back from the group. He caught her eye, and was surprised to see her give him a shy smile, one that showed she was happy for him, and also a little proud. It made him feel a little funny inside. Before he could go and talk to her, or just tell her thanks, or _something,_ she was gone and he was pulled away by Guy.

* * *

 **8 years old - Sakura  
Academy Student/Genin**

* * *

"Sakura, I've spoken with the Academy leadership, and we all agree that there's nothing more you can be taught here," Miko-sensei said.

Sakura blinked.

"What does that mean?" She asked, her stomach fluttering nervously.

Miko-sensei gave her a kind smile.

"It means that if you pass the final exams, you'll be graduating from the Academy."

"I - I have so much to learn still," Sakura stammered.

"Yes, but what you have to learn can't be taught within these walls any longer. Congratulations, Sakura."

Sakura's cheeks heated and a smile bloomed across her face.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly, clutching her books tightly to her chest.

Miko-sensei told her that she'd be tested in the morning, so she should go home and get some rest. Sakura nodded and left in a slight daze. She walked home, unable to wipe the goofy smile from her face. She was so surprised and happy. She knew that she had been excelling in her classes, and she'd been consistently scoring with the top marks in almost all subjects. She was still lacking in taijutsu, but she'd been working hard and…she'd proved herself capable enough to graduate at only eight-years-old. When she got home she ran up to her room and opened the book that contained the paper with Kakashi's name on it. She stared at it, the edges crumpling in her grip. She was getting closer to reaching her goal, and her stomach flipped over with happy nerves.

The test was easier than she expected. She only had to create a perfect clone, something she'd been able to do for a year now. Just as the Hokage was about to present her with her headband, the doors to the room to be flung open and the legendary Sannin, Lady Tsunade, stomped into the room.

"You're late, Tsunade," the Hokage said with a small smile.

"Well. Is this the brat?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura was shocked at her lack of decorum, but even more that Tsunade ( _her hero!)_ was looking directly at her.

"Indeed," the Hokage answered. "This is Sakura Haruno."

Tsunade gave her a look, up and down.

"She doesn't look like much."

Sakura frowned and stared back at Tsunade, who raised an eyebrow at her.

"I expect you'll discover her skills on your own," the Hokage said easily.

Tsunade turned to him.

"You better not be wasting my time with this."

"With what?" Sakura asked, too curious and annoyed to hold back any longer.

Lord Third gave her a soft smile.

"Congratulations, Sakura."

He held out her headband and she took it with a proud smile.

"You are now a genin of Konoha."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," she bowed.

She gripped the headband tightly like it was the most precious thing in the world, and at that moment it was.

"This is Tsunade Senju, the director of the hospital, and the best medic the village has ever produced," the Hokage said.

Sakura nodded. She knew who Tsunade was, everyone did.

"Tsunade has agreed to test your aptitude for medical ninjutsu, and at the end of the probationary period, will decide if she'll take you on as an apprentice."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. She stared at the Hokage, speechless. He chuckled at her expression.

"I have no doubt you will flourish," he said. "Until Tsunade's evaluation has been completed, you will not be assigned to a genin team."

"Thank you," Sakura said with disbelief.

She tied her headband around the top of her head and turned to Tsunade, who had been studying her. She felt uncomfortable under the scrutinising gaze Tsunade was giving her.

"I won't let you down," Sakura vowed.

Tsunade scoffed.

"We'll see. Follow me."

Sakura followed her.

* * *

 **8 years old - Kakashi  
Chunin**

* * *

"Did you hear? Lady Tsunade's finally taken on an apprentice, some medical prodigy with pink hair."

Kakashi's head whipped up and he paused and walked over to the chunin who were huddled together on the side of the street.

"What did you say?"

They peered down at him with dislike. Kakashi didn't care, he didn't like them either, but there was only one person he knew with pink hair and he had to know what they were talking about.

"What's it to you, Hatake?"

"Who has Tsunade taken on?" Kakashi asked.

"Some kunoichi kid. Graduated early, like you," one of them shrugged.

Kakashi nodded and walked away, ignoring their grumblings about how he was a rude little shit. Was it Sakura? He'd had no indication that she was interested in medical ninjutsu at the academy, but he did remember the medical books she had hidden away in the forest, and he had noticed her chakra control was really good in comparison to everyone else. If she'd kept training and improving at the rate she had been, it wasn't a surprise that she'd graduated early. But to be taken on by a _Sannin?_ That was remarkable. He felt jealous.

He had been walking towards the training grounds, but changed directions, knowing his old classmates would be finishing up for the day at the academy soon, if he just happened to bump into one of them accidentally, maybe they'd know. Thankfully, it was Asuma and Kurenai whose path he crossed first and _not_ Obito's or Guy's.

"Hey Kakashi," Asuma greeted him with a slow, friendly smile.

"Asuma," Kakashi replied.

"Wow, it's been a while, Kakashi! How are you?" Kurenai asked.

Kakashi shrugged.

"Fine. Any news?" He asked.

Kurenai's eyes lit up.

"Actually, yes! Do you remember Sakura?"

Kakashi acted like he didn't.

"The pink-haired, quiet one," Asuma supplied.

"Oh. Yeah. Why?"

"She graduated a few months ago, and was just officially accepted as Lady Tsunade's apprentice!" Kurenai told him excitedly. "Isn't that great? I had no idea she was so interested in medical ninjutsu, and Lady Tsunade _never_ accepts students."

"It's impressive," Kakashi admitted.

"After you left she was the top student," Asuma said.

"Did she… talk?" Kakashi asked, unable to help his curiosity.

"Yeah," Kurenai laughed. "She's actually really nice. She was just shy. Me and Asuma helped her make more friends."

Kakashi glanced at Asuma, who shrugged.

"She helped with our homework."

"Ah." Kakashi replied, understanding how the helping-make-friends-thing happened. "Well. See you later."

"Oh, hey, wait." Kurenai stopped him.

Kakashi looked at her with slight annoyance.

"What?"

"Sakura's been so into studying to make sure that she passed Tsunade's evaluation. But now that she'd done it, we're going to have a little party for her. Want to come?"

Kakashi shrugged.

"Maybe."

"When we organise it, we'll let you know," Kurenai said.

Kakashi gave a small nod and then walked off, still feeling jealous, but he was also oddly proud of her, although he didn't know why.

* * *

 **8 years old - Sakura  
Genin**

* * *

The party that her old classmates organised secretly for her made Sakura tear up. She was so happy to see them all, she hadn't realised how much she missed them all. Kurenai had come to fetch her from her house just before lunch and dragged her to a park near the Academy, where her entire class was waiting for her.

They all gave her little gifts. Guy gave her a pair of weights for her legs, which everyone laughed at, but she accepted with gratitude, knowing that Lady Tsunade had told her they would be leaning taijutsu soon and the weights would definitely help her become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade. Genma gave her a packet of ten senbon, which would be really helpful in her medic-nin studies. Obito gave her an old medical textbook that apparently used to be his grandmothers. Asuma and Kurenai coordinated their gifts, with Asuma giving her a pink necklace, and Kurenai giving her a dress and telling her that even though she was a genin, she was still a girl. Anko also agreed with Kurenai's sentiments, giving Sakura a purple flower clip that she said Ibiki had actually chosen but was too shy to give to her directly.

Sakura gave everyone a big hug and thanked them profusely until Hayate and Yuuna arrived with their celebratory food, curtesy of Yuuna's clan. Anko salivated over the food, stating that the Akimichi's were the best cooks in the world. It was the best lunch and the best way for her to relax after studying so hard for the last three months. After they'd finished eating, and Sakura was helping Kurenai and Yuuna clean up, Obito's surprised outburst of 'Bakashi' made Sakura freeze. She slowly turned around and saw that Kakashi Hatake had shown up, prompting the rapid increase of her pulse.

"Didn't think you'd come," Asuma said to him.

Kakashi just shrugged, and glanced at the table full of gifts, pausing slightly. Sakura watched him, desperately trying to keep her face straight and her blush down as he came closer to her. He cleared his throat, clearly irritated that everyone was watching him.

"I just got back from a mission," he said. "Sorry."

"That's okay," Sakura replied, still trying to compose herself.

"I didn't get you a gift."

He seemed embarrassed. Sakura shook her head.

"I don't mind," she replied. "Um. Thanks for coming."

This was the most that they'd ever spoken to each other. He cleared his throat.

"Congratulations," he murmured.

And then he turned around and left the way he came. Everyone stared at him, and then turned back to Sakura, eyes wide and confused. Sakura stared after him, blinking in confusion.

"What the hell was that?" Genma asked, breaking the silence.

Asuma and Kurenai shared a glance.

"Weird," Anko answered Genma, who nodded in agreement.

Sakura had to agree with them.

"Very," she said.

She ducked her head and continued cleaning up, her heart hammered in her chest and she hoped no one could see her blush.


	2. Chapter 2

***ALWAYS YOU*** **  
Two**

* * *

 **9 years old - Kakashi  
Chunin**

* * *

Kakashi glared at Obito and cursed his luck. Why did he have to be put on a team with such a loser? Had he somehow made the Hokage angry at him or something? Obito glared back and Kakashi looked away, folding his arms over his chest in a huff.

"Where's our third teammate?" He asked his sensei, Minato Namikaze.

Kakashi was beyond happy to have Minato Namikaze as his sensei. The man was was already a legend, and he was only eighteen. Kakashi secretly idolised him.

"Running late, obviously," Obito sneered.

The implication he was calling Kakashi an idiot was clear in his voice.

"Like you can talk, loser," Kakashi snapped back. "You were twenty minutes late!"

"I was helping someone, unlike you! You don't lift a finger for anyone but yourself."

"Both of you stop fighting," Minato said, his voice firm.

Kakashi huffed and looked away from Obito and at Minato-sensei expectantly.

"I was warned this might happen. So just be patient," Minato said like it explained everything. "While we wait, why don't we take this chance to get to know one another?"

"No, thank you," Kakashi responded. "I don't want to get to know him more than I already do."

Obito blustered.

"What's your problem, Bakashi? You're such an ass."

Thankfully, their third teammate arrived and spared Kakashi from arguing any further discussion with Obito. But when Kakashi caught sight of her, he froze. She sprinted up to them, panting and apologetic.

"I'm so sorry! I was held up at the hospital."

"Sakura?"

Obito was shocked but pleased. Sakura took a deep, steadying breath and smiled.

"Hey, Obito," she said warmly.

"Hey!" Obito said with excitement. "I wasn't expecting you to be on my team! Man, this is so much better than Kakashi."

Sakura's face seemed to redden slightly, but that was probably from the exertion of her run. Kakashi slowly unfroze. He hadn't seen her at all in the year since that day of her party, where he'd been so embarrassed at not getting her a gift and for some other reason he didn't understand that he'd had to leave immediately.

"Hi Kakashi," she said quietly to him.

Kakashi just nodded, wondering with a little disappointment why she hadn't greeted him with the same enthusiasm she had greeted Obito with.

"It seems like the three of you know each other," Minato said.

"Yep! We were classmates," Obito grinned.

When he caught Kakashi's gaze, he glared again.

"It's nice to see you again, Sakura," Minato-sensei smiled at her.

Kakashi could see that she actually blushed when she looked at Minato, and that didn't sit well with him. His lips pursed under his mask.

"Nice to see you again too, Minato-sensei," Sakura smiled back, and Kakashi's frown deepened.

"How do you know Sakura?" Obito asked.

Kakashi wanted to know that as well. He looked at Minato-sensei.

"I've been treated by her at the hospital before," Minato said, patting the top of Sakura's head. "She's a medic."

Obito flushed red with embarrassment and chuckle.

"Oh yeah," he scratched the back of his head. "I forgot."

Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"So, let's start the test, shall we?"

Minato-sensei held up two bells.

"The three of you are going to work together to take these two bells from me."

Kakashi glanced sideways at Obito, who did the same. Sakura stepped between them, blocking his view of Obito, and Kakashi looked away from her.

"That's all?" She asked. "No other stipulations?"

Minato shook his head.

"No. So, let's begin."

He made a hand sign and disappeared. To Kakashi's surprise, Sakura turned to them both with a firm look in her eyes.

"I know the two of you don't get along, but we're a team now," she said. "So we're going to work together."

"Who made you the boss?" Obito asked.

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"You're right, Obito. I'm not the one with the most experience." She turned to Kakashi. "So what do you think we should do?"

Kakashi blinked in surprise.

"I'm not taking his orders," Obito cried out.

"Then don't. I can get the bells without your help," Kakashi snapped.

"So can I!" Obito retorted angrily.

Kakashi felt the rise in tension, but it didn't come from him and Obito. He frowned and turned to Sakura, who was glaring at the two of them with clenched fists. This is was a very different girl than the one he last saw, he realised.

"Do you two understand the dynamics of a team with a medic in it?" She asked, her voice shaking. "Do you?" She demanded.

Obito looked a little confused, and Kakashi started to feel his own irritation rise at Sakura.

"On missions, you're both supposed to protect me so that I can save your lives. Soon I won't need protection - " Kakashi didn't know what that meant " - but until then, I'm supposed to rely on you. We are all supposed to work together so no one dies. That's why we have teams. If you two don't want to work together, fine, but then it's your fault if one of us dies because I'm counting on you."

Kakashi felt the full force of her words, and as a shinobi, he knew she was right, but he also hated that she had just talked to him like she was somehow superior, and felt resentment bubbling up at her. Obito looked at her in surprise and then gave a small apology. Sakura nodded, and they both looked at Kakashi.

"Whatever," he muttered.

Sakura stopped Obito from making some kind of comment.

"So?" She prompted. "What's the plan?"

With great reluctance, Kakashi formed a plan.

* * *

 **9 years old - Sakura  
Genin**

* * *

Sakura watched Kakashi leave with regret. After their training session was over and they failed to get the bells after only just managing to work together, he hadn't even looked at her before he left. She had wanted to show that she wasn't all talk and that she was an actual medic and she was good at it, and help his recovery along with her medical ninjutsu, and now she was afraid he hated her.

"Don't worry about that, moron," Obito said happily to her. "Even if he doesn't want to be a team, we'll still work together and be awesome."

Sakura wanted to tell him that that was exactly the opposite of the point, but she just gave him a small smile and nodded, and then offered to treat his small injuries. Obito was amazed that she was so good at medical ninjutsu.

"Lady Tsunade is a strict teacher," Sakura replied wryly.

After she was done, Minato-sensei told Obito to get home, and that he wanted to talk to Sakura alone. Obito left with a grin and a wave. Sakura swallowed nervously.

"What did you want to talk about, Minato-sensei?" Sakura asked.

He gave her a kind smile.

"I thought you spoke very well at the beginning," he said.

Sakura blinked.

"You were listening?" She asked, slowly feeling mortified.

He nodded, giving her a sly smile.

"I was hiding underground."

Sakura flushed red.

"It's clear that Lady Tsunade has given you a good grounding in what it means to be a shinobi and what your role in a team is," Minato said.

Sakura smiled and nodded. Lady Tsunade had drilled it into her head.

"I - I'm really happy to be on your team," she said with a little blush.

Minato patted her head again. She tried not to squirm happily.

"I'm glad you're here too. Hopefully, those two will appreciate how valuable a team member you are."

Sakura flushed with pleasure. Being on a team with Minato-sensei was amazing. He was the best shinobi in the whole village, and he was really nice and handsome. She deflated slightly when she remembered Kakashi. She was getting closer to her goal, and being his teammate meant so much to her, but now he probably hated her.

"And don't worry about Kakashi," Minato continued. "He's stubborn and moody, but deep down he knows you were right."

Sakura grimaced.

"He probably hates me now," she lamented.

Minato chuckled.

"I don't think so. Let's just be patient."

Sakura's eyes widened in realisation.

"Oh, Minato-sensei. I know you didn't really have to go all out on us, but do you need any treatment?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Sakura," he replied, amused.

"Okay! But if you ever get hurt, I promise I'll heal you. I'm going to be the best medic after Lady Tsunade one day."

"I have no doubt," Minato replied.

* * *

 **11 years old - Sakura  
Chunin**

* * *

"Congratulations, Obito!" Sakura hugged him tightly.

"You too!" He replied, hugging her equally tight.

Kakashi scoffed.

"The two of you are pathetic."

Sakura rolled her eyes as she released Obito. After two years of being on Kakashi's team, she'd become disillusioned with her idea of who he was. Kakashi had not, like she'd hoped, become less moody or easy to like in all their time together. Their teamwork was only tentatively okay because he acted like he was better than them both and didn't need their help. Sakura had given up trying to persuade him and left that to Minato-sensei to deal with. She had more important things to worry about, like making chunin, which she had just done.

She couldn't deny that she still admired Kakashi's talents, as much as she admired Minato-sensei and Lady Tsunade. She was constantly awed by him, although she tried to hide it as much as she could. She did not need Kakashi Hatake getting an even bigger ego.

"We actually enjoy expressing emotion, unlike you, Kakashi," Sakura replied. "So you can just shove your opinions somewhere else, okay?"

Obito laughed beside her, and Kakashi narrowed his eyes at her and walked off. Sakura felt a painful twinge in her heart seeing him walk away. Obito wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Ah, whatever. Let's go find people more fun to celebrate with!" He said, cheering her up.

Sakura smiled.

"Sure thing."

Obito let her go and started walking off towards the village, Sakura followed him, but she cast one last look over her shoulder and was surprised to see Kakashi had turned back to look at her. She caught his gaze and quickly turned, and he did the same. Her face burned red and she caught up to Obito, wondering why Kakashi was always the one who affected her so much.

* * *

 **11 years old - Kakashi  
Chunin**

* * *

 _She looked back._

Kakashi quickly turned away, grateful that he only part of his blush visible was that of his ears, and she was too far away to see it. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away, annoyed with himself. He always managed to say or do something that made her annoyed at him, and even worse, he hated how he felt jealous seeing the way she interacted with that idiot, Obito. Sakura never looked at him so happily or smiled at him without some kind of sarcasm behind it. It was the worst being jealous of Obito, and he was never in a million years going to admit it to anyone.

Kakashi was so lost in his thoughts he didn't even realise that Minato-sensei was walking beside him. When he did, he flinched, startled. Minato-sensei gave him a tight smile.

"Not going to celebrate with your teammates?" He asked.

"No. They don't want me there," he said bitterly.

"I know that's not true," Minato sighed.

Kakashi scoffed and ducked when Minato ruffled his hair.

"Kakashi, why don't you try more? I know Sakura would love it if you did," Minato said.

Kakashi clenched his jaw.

"I doubt that," he muttered. "She hates me."

Minato chuckled.

"I've seen the way she watches you, and it's not with hatred."

Kakashi paused.

"Watches me?"

Minato nodded.

"She's always watching you. Studying what you do and how you do it. She looks up to you."

Kakashi's automatic response was denial, but then he recalled the year he spent with her at the academy, and he couldn't dismiss it. His brow furrowed.

"But then why does she always…" He trailed off.

"Snap at you? Get angry?" Minato offered.

Kakashi nodded.

"Because you do the same to her," Minato told him. "Why don't you try and be a little nicer, and see what happens?"

Kakashi scrunched up his nose.

"Why can't she be nice?"

Minato shook his head.

"Kakashi, you can't expect people to treat you one way while you treat them the opposite. That's not how people work. Sakura's a smart girl, and she's only going to get stronger and smart. If you want her to like you, you need to behave better."

"I don't care if she likes me or not!" Kakashi huffed, walking away from his sensei, who watched him go with amusement.

* * *

 **Sakura - 13 years old  
Chunin**

* * *

"Congratulations, Kakashi," she smiled at him.

Kakashi barely looked at her.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Sakura clenched her jaw to hold back her annoyance. For once she was trying to be nice to him, sincere in her congratulations because he had earned them, but he still brushed her off. It hurt, but she held it in.

"Here," she said, handing over her gift. "For you."

He glanced briefly at her and took it. She waited nervously as he opened it the bag and took out the first part of her gift. It wasn't something very practical, so she'd also gotten him a set of four new shurikens that cost her way too much money. Her gift was a little bit more personal, a little riskier to her pride. She felt a flip in her chest when she saw him still at the gift, his eyes widened slightly. It was a photograph of the two of them that Kushina had taken one afternoon. The only photograph where they were actually both smiling, although you couldn't see Kakashi's smile because of the mask, but Sakura knew he was.

"I just thought it was nice. It's okay if you don't like it," she rambled. "I got you another gift that's more practical, it's in the bag. So yeah, you don't have to worry, just throw it out if you don't like it - "

"Sakura."

Kakashi's voice was quiet and she stopped talking.

"Thank you."

Sakura blinked and swallowed, and her heart beat rapidly when she saw that the tips of his ears were red. Was Kakashi blushing? Sakura's own face started to burn red.

"Hey!"

Sakura froze and then turned to see the rest of their classmates arrive. She saw Kakashi quickly stuff the photograph back in the bag. She stepped back and let the rest of his friends present him with their congratulatory gifts, and was disappointed when Obito didn't give him anything.

"He made jonin Obito, it's a big deal," Sakura scolded him.

"Whatever," Obito muttered.

Sakura felt her chest tighten as she watched Kakashi interact with everyone else, never once letting go of the bag she'd given him. Silently, she promised herself that she'd never tell him she kept the same photograph above her bed and made sure it was the last thing she looked at before she went to sleep every night.

* * *

 **13 years old - Kakashi**  
 **Jonin**

* * *

Kakashi went home after the little celebration for his promotion and dumped all the gifts, except for Sakura's, in a haphazard pile on his bed. With a racing heart, he pulled the photograph out of the bag and stared at it, wondering why he'd accepted it and then thanked her for it. He had no need for a photograph, it was pointless, and yet… it was the only gift he seemed to care about.

He remembered the day it was taken. Kushina had brought them lunch and declared that they needed to record their memories together - and that she'd just bought a new camera and wanted to try it out. Kakashi had been watching Sakura as she spoke to Minato-sensei, with that annoying blush she always had around him on her cheeks, when Kushina called her over to take a photo with Kakashi. He remembered that she'd hesitated slightly, and then come over. Kakashi had sighed and told Kushina that he wasn't moving. He was comfortable leaning back against the fallen tree, so Sakura stood behind him and leaned down over the trunk.

Promise you'll smile? She had asked him.

Kakashi rolled his eyes and then nodded. He wasn't going to until she went and gave him one of those elusive smiles she usually reserved for Minato-sensei or Obito. He'd been so happy to be on the receiving end that he couldn't help but smile. It was annoying because he was a shinobi, and shinobi didn't have feelings. They were tools to be used, and feelings were nothing but a nuisance that got in the way of what they had to do. But it was getting harder for Kakashi to deny that he felt something when he looked at Sakura. He definitely wouldn't admit it though. Not to himself or anyone else.


	3. Chapter 3

***ALWAYS YOU*** **  
** **Three**

* * *

 **13 years old - Sakura  
Chunin**

* * *

Sakura had broken the genjutsu not long after it had been placed on her but she masked it by keeping her chakra flow distorted enough not to raise too many alarms. She couldn't believe she'd allowed herself to be kidnapped! Not to mention that she was certain that she wasn't going to be rescued any time soon, at least not by Kakashi.

That thought hurt more than she would ever admit. The mission came first with Kakashi, always. Obito, however…she felt a spike of worry. If he came alone, he would probably be killed, these Iwa-nin were strong and they had to finish their mission to turn the tide of the war. Kannabi Bridge was more important than her. Slowly, she tried to think of a plan before they noticed she was genjutsu resistant and relied on physical torture to get information from her.

Sakura had never been more surprised when Obito _and_ Kakashi arrived to rescue her. They took out the shinobi guarding her before she could even move. Obito grinned at her, as if they weren't in enemy territory, and cut her binds.

"Come on," he urged her. "Let's get out of here."

Sakura saw the enemy shinobi out of the corner of her eye and realised that he'd used the last of his strength to collapse the cave on them all too late and felt Obito push her forwards out of the way. She stumbled and fell, coughing as the smoke cleared. Her eyes widened when she saw Kakashi frantically searching the dust.

"Obito!" She screamed.

She turned to see him and her heart seemed to tear in half when she saw him crushed under a massive rock. Not Obito, not her best friend. _No, no, no, no!_

"Sakura," he croaked out. "Are you okay?"

Sakura fell to her knees and gripped the hand Obito had reached out to her with. Kakashi ran over to them and desperately tried to move the rock.

"I'm fine, you idiot!" She answered, feeling tears bubble at the surface. "Why did you save me?"

He gave a weak smile.

"You're my best friend."

The tears spilled over. He coughed and blood spilled out his mouth.

"No!" She cried. "You're not going to die!"

"Obito!"

Kakashi sounded broken. Sakura looked up at him and saw that his eye was gone. Blood ran down his face, and Sakura paled. Everything was going _wrong, wrong, wrong_. Her heart raced and she felt her panic rising. She looked at Obito when he started to give a strained laugh.

"I finally have - something to give you, Kakashi… for your promotion," Obito rasped, giving a shaky laugh.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura whispered.

"Sakura, you have to take... my eye... and give it to Kakashi," Obito said to her with a weak smile.

Sakura's mind blanked at the request.

"No, Obito…" she breathed. "I'm going to save you."

"My body…is crushed," he breathed. "It's okay." He squeezed her hand. "Please."

Sakura looked up at Kakashi and saw that he was paler than she'd ever seen him. She looked back at Obito and saw that he meant what he was saying. So Sakura did it, sobbing and trembling, she removed his eye and transplanted it into Kakashi, who was shaking. Sakura sat back on her heels. She couldn't accept it. She couldn't. She _wouldn't._ She clenched her fist and went back to Obito and checked what condition he was in. He was unconscious but not dead. Not dead yet. He wasn't going to die.

"Kakashi."

Her voice was hoarse.

"Help me," she said.

He came to her side.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura took a deep breath and steeled herself.

"When the rock breaks, drag him out of the way. I'm going to save him."

Kakashi's single eye opened wide.

"You can't. He's dead."

Sakura turned a glare on him.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed. "He's not dead!"

She clenched her fist.

"He's not dead. I'm going to save him."

Kakashi just gave her a shaking nod, and then Sakura turned back to the boulder that was holding down Obito and shattered it. It cracked, slowly, until suddenly it broke rapidly, and crumbled. Kakashi dragged Obito out of the way and Sakura inhaled sharply at the right side of his body. Uncertain if she was going to save him, blood was pouring from. She shook her head, ignoring her tears and bent to her pack, pulling out all her supplies.

"Kakashi, finish the mission," she whispered.

"I can't leave you."

"Just do it. _Please._ You have to. Finish the mission."

She laid her hands over Obito's chest, her hands glowed green.

"I'll send Minato-sensei straight here," Kakashi said quietly, and then he was gone, and Sakura worked and worked and worked until the world went black.

* * *

 **13 years old - Kakashi  
Jonin**

* * *

Kakashi paced, terrified, outside of the operating room. Minato-sensei had his arms folded over his chest, leaning back against the wall, eyes closed.

After he'd destroyed the bridge, Kakashi had raced back to Sakura and Obito, with Minato-sensei suddenly appearing on the way. He explained what happened to Minato-sensei, who was shocked and horrified. They found them both unconscious, but alive. Barely. Using almost all of his remaining chakra, Minato transported them all back the outskirts of the village in record time and then they rushed to the hospital. Kakashi had never seen Lady Tsunade so shaken. Both Sakura and Obito were rushed to intensive care and surgery, respectively. It had been hours. Kakashi had been treated, with half his head wrapped in bandages over his - _Obito's_ \- eye. It itched, and he wanted to rip if from his skull because Obito was still alive. For now/ Minato stood straight suddenly, and Kakashi stopped his pacing to see a medic appear.

"What is it?" Kakashi demanded. "What's happening?"

Minato placed a hand on his shoulder, but his tension didn't dissipate.

"Sakura Haruno is out of danger."

Kakashi had never felt more relieved.

"She had almost completely depleted her chakra, but it seems as though her reserves were adequate enough to keep her from dying. She'll be unconscious for a while longer, but you're welcome to see her."

"And Obito?" Minato asked, his voice tight with worry.

"He's still on the operating table. I don't know anymore," the medic apologised.

"Thank you," Minato said, deceptively calm. "Let's go, Kakashi."

Kakashi allowed Minato to lead him to Sakura's room. When he saw her, Kakashi's feet seemed frozen to the floor. He couldn't move. He just stared at her through his one open eye, a myriad of emotions running through him. He'd never seen her look so fragile before. Not even when she was a kid, or when the news came that both her parents died in the war. She was the strongest person he'd ever met. And he… he almost didn't go to rescue her. His lips trembled; everything that had happened was his fault. He was supposed to be the jonin, the leader. He was a failure. He felt Minato's hand on his back, urging him forward, but he stood still, his feet shuffling backward.

"Kakashi?"

He backed away, shaking his head, and ran.

* * *

 **13 years old - Sakura**  
 **Chunin**

* * *

Sakura shot up out of bed.

"Obito!" She cried out.

A rush of pain throbbed in her head and she winced and groaned.

"Calm down, Sakura."

Sakura looked up and saw Lady Tsunade standing beside her.

"Tsunade-shishou," she whispered, tearing up.

Instead of the usual stern face Tsunade had, she looked down at Sakura softly.

"Welcome back," she said quietly.

Sakura looked at her gave a little sigh.

"He's alive, Sakura. You did well."

Hearing that, Sakura put her face in her hands and her body was wracked with sobs. Tsunade hugged her, and Sakura leaned into her and began to wail. She faintly heard the door open.

"What happened? Is she okay?"

Sakura's head perked up and she saw Minato-sensei looking panicked. She caught his eye and sniffed, and she saw the relief cross his face.

"Sakura, you're awake."

"Minato-sensei," she sniffed.

Tsunade stepped back, allowing Minato to embrace her. Sakura clutched his vest tightly.

"What happened?" She whispered. "Where's Kakashi?"

Minato let her go and sat on the bed beside her.

"After your i _ncredibly reckless overuse of chakra_ to save your teammate - " Sakura cringed at the disapproval in Tsunade's voice. " - your sensei and Kakashi found you both unconscious and brought you back here. Just in time."

Sakura looked at Minato.

"Kakashi finished the mission, and I caught up with him on his way back to you both."

Sakura's body sagged with relief.

"Where is he?" Sakura asked, looking around.

Tsunade scoffed.

"Being a coward."

Sakura flinched.

"What?"

Minato gave Tsunade a small frown and then looked at Sakura.

"He wants to be here," he told her.

Sakura sighed and lay back.

"But he's hiding because he feels guilty," she finished. "I get it. Can I see Obito?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade gave a short nod.

"I should warn you first," Tsunade said. "You save his life and his arm."

Sakura's stomach clenched.

"Because you worked quickly, you managed to somehow repair more of the damage I think even I could have. You somehow saved his entire arm and his lungs. But," she sighed. "We've had to amputate his leg from mid-thigh."

Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears.

"I didn't do enough," she berated herself.

"On the contrary," Tsunade replied. "You did more than anyone else could. I'm proud of you."

Sakura's lip trembled.

"Can I be alone for a moment?" She asked quietly.

Minato and Tsunade nodded and left the room. Once Sakura was alone, she cried again. For Obito, for the fear of what he'd say to her, and for Kakashi. He wasn't there, and he should be. Sakura's lips trembled. _He should be here._

* * *

 **13 years old - Kakashi  
Jonin**

* * *

Kakashi stood outside Obito's hospital room door and clenched his fist tightly, trying to steady himself before he entered. Slowly he raised his hand to the doorknob and opened it. It slowly swung open, and still, he didn't move. Kakashi swallowed and took a step into the room.

"I wondered when you come."

Obito's voice was hoarse. Kakashi slowly turned his head to look at him. Half his body was bandaged. He glanced down the bed, where he could see the outline of Obito's amputation. Kakashi clenched his jaw, trying to speak, but he couldn't find the words. Finally, he met Obito's eye. Obito gave a pained kind of smile.

"We match," he joked, but it fell flat.

Kakashi swallowed.

"Two idiots," he murmured in response.

Obito huffed a laugh, wincing a little.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Kakashi closed the door behind him and walked over to the seat beside his teammate's bed.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed. "I'm so sorry, _I'm so sorry_."

Obito gave a snort.

"Shut up, Kakashi," he snapped. "It's not your fault."

Kakashi flinched. It _was_ his fault. He was the one that delayed them, he was the one that should have been rescuing Sakura.

"Yes it is," he said quietly.

"Fine. Is that what you want?" Obito asked, his voice angry. "You want to take the blame, and feel sorry for yourself? Fine, it's your fault. Are you happy now?"

Kakashi lowered his head, putting his face in his hands, his elbows digging into his knees.

" _I'm sorry_."

His voice cracked. It wasn't an apology for what happened, it was an apology for everything. Every terrible thing he'd ever said or done or accused Obito of. Because Obito had just sacrificed his eye, leg and almost his life for them both, and Kakashi was such a coward for hiding behind the rules.

"Shinobi who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Obito repeated the words he'd said to Kakashi in the forest and Kakashi flinched.

"Make me a promise, Kakashi," Obito said quietly.

Kakashi looked up at him and nodded.

"Anything," he said hoarsely.

"Don't abandon us."

Obito's voice cracked.

"Don't let her think you don't care when you do."

Kakashi winced and Obito gave him a rueful smile.

"It's so obvious, Bakashi."

He took a deep breath.

"And don't let me do this alone - " his voice broke. " _I can't do this alone, Kakashi_."

Kakashi's eye filled up with tears that rolled down his face. He stood and for the first time ever, he took Obito's hand and held it tightly.

"I promise, Obito," he whispered.

His throat constricted painfully. Obito held onto his hand tightly. There was no need for other words.

* * *

 **14 years old - Sakura  
Chunin**

* * *

Sakura stared at Kakashi, who very obviously knew she was staring, and yet didn't meet her eyes or speak. Instead, he kept his head in a book that Minato-sensei had given him, and blatantly ignored her existence. Except that… it wasn't _ignoring_ her, per se. For the last year, since the bridge, he had never spoken to her once and he barely looked at her.

It had been frustrating at first, and even when she screamed at him to leave her alone, he continued to just show up and be there. But his version of spending time with her had turned into silence and presence and Sakura didn't understand him at all. She had grown used to it, however, since no matter what she had threatened him with, Kakashi kept showing up, wherever she was. He just didn't acknowledge her. So it wasn't exactly ignoring, she just didn't know what it was.

She questioned whether it was some kind of psychological torture, but she knew he spoke to Obito. More than ever, in fact. They were actually getting along, most of the time. Obito's recovery was slow, but somehow it was Kakashi and not Sakura that was getting him through the worst of it. In his dark moments, Obito turned to his once rival to pull him back, and Sakura was left alone in unbearable silence.

Minato-sensei was the Hokage and had been since the end of the war. She was so proud of him, but he was so busy these days, and her own responsibilities in the hospital had picked up, so she rarely saw him. In fact, she had been openly avoiding the Hokage for some weeks and wondered if that was why Kakashi had been appearing more frequently around her lately. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. Kakashi had been drafted into Minato's personal ANBU, a place of very high regard, and she felt him slipping away from her again, to a place that she might not be able to reach. With his - Obito's - Sharingan, he'd managed to perfect the Chidori he'd been working on. Which was a miracle in itself, since the Uchiha clan were not particularly happy that Kakashi had the Sharingan in the first place. To everyone's surprise, Fugaku had been the one to speak up in favour of him keeping it. After a long discussion with Obito that Sakura didn't know the details of, he announced his verdict, and when the clan head made a decision, the clan followed.

She let out a sigh and turned her attention back to her research. She had spent the last year trying to figure out how she could help Obito get a new leg. He had to be a shinobi, that was who he was. Obito was going to be the Hokage, he had to be. It was part of the reason Sakura had been avoiding Minato-sensei. Apparently, she had been recommended for promotion to jonin after her saviour of Obito. She didn't feel like she deserved it.

Sakura felt a nudge in her head and scrunched up her nose. There had been something trying to force its way into her conscious thoughts for days, but she could never quite grasp it. She glanced back down at her research and frowned. If she was going to get Obito a new leg that would allow him to get back out into the field, it needed to be better than a regular prosthetic limb. It needed to be… organic, something that would move and develop with him. She groaned. He couldn't just _grow_ a new leg. That wasn't possible. But Sakura couldn't give up, she had to find a way because she knew that deep down they were all counting on her to find something to give Obito back his leg so he could heal.

The nudge got a little bigger. Heal, leg, grow… She furrowed her brow and looked up at Kakashi, narrowing her eyes in thought at him before she let out a loud gasp, startling him, and stood, sprinting out of the room. She went immediately to her shishou and rapidly explained her idea without pausing for breath. Lady Tsunade was quiet for a moment, and Sakura could see the wheels turning over in her head, her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Sakura…" Tsunade-shishou said her name slowly. "Go to the Hokage immediately and tell him I want to meet with him."

Sakura looked at her with hope.

"So it's possible?"

Tsunade inclined her head.

"Theoretically…yes."

Sakura's heart pounded in her chest and she nodded and sprinted to the Hokage's office. She wasn't surprised to see that Kakashi had followed her. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and was overflowing with the hope that it could work.

 _Please, please let it work._


	4. Chapter 4

***ALWAYS YOU*  
FOUR  
**

* * *

 **14 years old - Kakashi  
ANBU**

* * *

Since a year ago, when Obito forced Kakashi to make that promise, he couldn't deny that there were growing… _feelings_ inside of him for their teammate. It made him extremely uncomfortable since now he couldn't deny them any longer and they decided to take up all his thoughts outside of missions.

For the first few months Kakashi had been in ANBU, he'd lost himself in it. It was the only way he knew how to deal with the immense guilt he felt. Obito was the one who snapped him out of it with a ferocious punch to his jaw that Kakashi had not expected. After that, Minato-sensei assigned him to watch over Kushina, who was pregnant with their first child. When he wasn't watching Kushina, and he wasn't with Obito, Kakashi spent his time with Sakura. The first time he saw her after the incident, he'd tried and failed to say anything. She spoke, then grew annoyed at his silence and threw him out. But Obito's promise hung over his head, and Kakashi kept coming back, silent and unable to speak until it reached a point where Sakura stopped trying to force him to speak and just begrudgingly accepted him being there.

Kakashi was ashamed of himself. He saw the hurt in her eyes, the disappointment in her slumped shoulders. It was an odd change of circumstance, because now Sakura wasn't the one studying him: he was studying her. It was the only good thing about his self-imposed and ridiculous silence around her. Kakashi was able to really see her for the first time, which made forgetting those annoying things like feelings, impossible.

He really liked the way she bit her lip when she was thinking, and the little hum she unconsciously broke into when she'd figured out a problem. When she was concentrating particularly hard, there was a little crease between her brows, almost like a scowl. Sometimes she would look at the picture of their team on her desk with a wistful smile, and he knew that she missed it as much as he did.

She'd never suit life in ANBU because she didn't know how to sit still. She was always fidgeting, her leg bounced when she was impatient, her fingers tapped across the table when she was annoying, she cracked her knuckles when he was trying to get herself motivated. He liked the way her voice became impassioned when she was discussing medical ninjutsu, and the way her eyes lit up at the mention of Lady Tsunade or Minato-sensei. He didn't like it when she fell into a sad mood, blaming herself for not being good enough to save Obito's leg, or find a way to help him more. She was the only one who blamed her, Obito was grateful for his life although he still struggled to accept the loss of his leg.

Most of all, Kakashi liked the way she would sometimes look at him and then look away, unaware that she was blushing. It made his heart clench painfully and his stomach flip, and gave him a small, small hope that maybe, just _maybe,_ she thought about him the way he thought about her.

* * *

 **15 years old - Sakura  
Chunin**

* * *

The day Obito took his first step on his new leg, Sakura broke down in tears. She hadn't meant to, and she didn't think she would, but she did. Her sobs quickly became hysterical, and she fell to her knees in front of Minato-sensei, Tsunade-shishou, Obito, and Kakashi. For a while, no one touched her. They knew she needed to let it all out. It was the first time she'd cried in a long, long time. All her worry, all her fear, all her exhaustive research, and hard work had paid off. Sakura had come up with the idea months earlier to infuse the First Hokage's regenerative cells to create a prosthetic that would grow and adapt to Obito's body.

The entire process of research and development had been named an S-class secret. No one outside of Sakura, Tsunade and Minato were aware of the details. Even Obito was not even aware of what had been happening. He was a test subject, in a sense. If everything went well with him, and after careful study of his results, Sakura's research could become a highly sought-after and revolutionary idea. It would take years before Tsunade-shishou felt comfortable with the results and conclusions from Obito as Subject Zero, but Sakura felt like she'd actually managed to make up for her failures.

She felt her self being lifted up into someone's strong arms and felt herself relax into their embrace, sobbing quietly into the curve of their neck with her arms held tightly to her chest, as she calmed herself down. Vaguely she realised that it wasn't Minato-sensei that was holding her like she expected, and it wasn't Obito or Tsunade either. Sakura sniffed and without realising what she was doing, she let out a little sigh and snuggling deeper into Kakashi's embrace. He cleared his throat.

"You're…getting your snot on me."

She jolted at the words, and pulled back, staring at Kakashi, bewildered. She flushed with embarrassment and grit her teeth angrily, glowering darkly at him.

"You haven't said a word to me in a year and a half - " Her whole body was trembling with rage. "- and that - **_that_** is the first thing you say?"

She was shouting and she didn't care.

"You are an IDIOT, Kakashi Hatake!"

She really hoped that no one could blame her for the chakra-laden punch she landed in his stomach, sending him crashing into the wall. Sakura stormed out of the room and slammed the door so hard it fell off its hinges.

* * *

 **15 years old - Kakashi  
ANBU**

* * *

Kakashi groaned in pain as he slid from the small crater on the wall to the floor. Minato-sensei let out an exasperated sigh, and Obito looked at him pitifully.

"You're actually kind of pathetic, Kakashi." Obito shook his head.

Kakashi grimaced in pain, and Lady Tsunade laughed like she was enjoying it all way too much.

"I know."

* * *

 **16 years old - Sakura  
Chunin**

* * *

Kurenai and Anko were good friends, but Sakura really wanted to murder them both.

"Don't look at me like that," Anko said defensively. "You might have that - " she tapped the seal on Sakura's forehead, " - which tells the world you're a damn fine kunoichi, but you need to show off _this."_

Anko poked Sakura in the stomach and then gestured to all of her.

"You're a very pretty girl, Sakura. You should be proud of that," Kurenai smiled.

Sakura rubbed her stomach and sighed. Kurenai was beautiful, with her thick, long dark hair and magnetic red eyes, and Anko was wild and free and underneath it all, kind and compassionate. They were both magnetic in their own ways, and Sakura was just Sakura.

"Anyway," Kurenai's eyes sparkled with mischief, "we're not going to let you leave without changing into this and letting us get you ready!"

"Maybe Kakashi will come."

Anko nudged Sakura and winked. Sakura immediately blushed.

"What? Why would you say that?"

Anko and Kurenai shared a grin and Sakura almost walked out.

"Tell her," Anko urged Kurenai with a wicked grin.

"Tell me what?" Sakura demanded.

Kurenai forced Sakura to sit down and began to brush her hair. Sakura had grown it out long again, at Kurenai's urging. Sakura thought she just liked having someone's hair to play with, and Sakura couldn't deny it felt nice.

"Hmm, well. I guess it started when you were accepted to be Lady Tsunade's apprentice," Kurenai began. "Asuma and I ran into Kakashi near the academy and told him we were going to organise a party, and so we invited him."

Anko let out a snort of laughter.

"He came late and then left immediately, I remember that."

Sakura did too, her cheeks warmed.

"And then we thought he might come to spend time with us more, so we started inviting him out. But…" she trailed off.

"But?" Sakura prompted.

She couldn't help it, she was curious now.

"We realised that the only time he ever came out somewhere with the group was when we specifically mentioned you would be there. Or even just your name."

Sakura scrunched up her nose.

"Kakashi was never nice to me though. Well, rarely," she amended. "And then we saw each other all the time when we were on the same team."

Kurenai smiled.

"Well, maybe he just didn't know how to act. You _know_ he's a little odd in how he displays his emotions."

Sakura did know. Kurenai skilfully braided Sakura's hair, pinning parts of it back. Sakura frowned, she understood what they were implying, she wasn't a total idiot, but…

"I just don't believe he has any sort of feelings for me beyond friendship."

Sakura shook her hair.

"It's impossible."

Kakashi had always been her goal as a shinobi, the one she wanted to reach. Not to mention that he spent an entire year not speaking to her at all, and even now he was only speaking to her occasionally. She really couldn't see how what they were implying was true at all. Anko sighed.

"You know, you might be some kind of medic-nin genius Sakura, but you're kind of dumb."

Sakura glared at her.

"Just think about it," Kurenai told her. "And put on your dress!"

* * *

 **16 years old - Kakashi  
ANBU**

* * *

Kakashi knew he was in big trouble when his old classmates held a party and the only reason he went it was to see her. Technically, it was a party to celebrate Obito's first successfully completed mission. It was a D-rank, but he was making progress. Still, Kakashi wouldn't have come to the party if he knew Sakura wasn't going to be there, and to make matter worse, _everyone_ seemed to know it. He walked into the restaurant, following the server to the back room where they'd booked the private room for the party. His eyes searched the room for that familiar flash of pink, but it wasn't there. He turned to see Asuma and Genma smirking at him.

"She's not here," Genma grinned.

"Who?" Kakashi asked.

They chuckled.

"Kurenai, Anko, and Sakura are coming together," Asuma said. "They're late."

"Obviously, since Bakashi is here already."

Obito clapped him on the shoulder. Kakashi looked at him. They were a pair, each with one eye covered. Both scarred in their own ways. Obito gave him an amused smile and Kakashi rolled his eyes. Time passed slowly, and Kakashi stood with his hands in his pockets, slumped against the wall and half-heartedly joining in the conversation, keeping his eye where he could see the door.

"Sounds like they're here, finally," Asuma muttered under his breath.

Kakashi's heart rate picked up. Kurenai and Anko walked in first, followed by a blushing Sakura. Genma let out a low whistle at the sight of her.

"Damn, Sakura, you should get dressed up more often."

Kakashi felt his lips open slightly. Sakura blushed furiously.

"Shut up, Genma," she growled with embarrassment.

She caught Kakashi's eye and looked away immediately. Her hair was pulled back by a white clip on one side, falling softly down her back and over her shoulder. She was wearing a little make-up, enough to see that she was but not enough to overpower her natural appearance. It was her dress that had everyone in the room looking at her. It was not dissimilar to her regular red qiapo, but it gave her an entirely different atmosphere. It was a deeper red in colour, with white hemming and capped sleeves. It was more fitted to her, revealing curves and shape that Kakashi had never noticed before. It was almost floor-length, with a slit in one leg to her upper thigh, giving tantalising glimpses of her lean legs. On her arm below her capped sleeve, she wore an intricate silver armband. Kakashi looked away in an attempt to compose himself. Anko sidled up beside him.

"She looks good, huh, Kakashi?"

She elbowed him and Kakashi ignored her. Anko _tsked_ in annoyance.

"That's so nice, Kakashi!" She said loudly, drawing everyone's attention. Kakashi's eyes widened in panic. "Sakura _does_ look beautiful!"

Kakashi flushed red and glared at Anko, who winked and smirked at him. He unwittingly caught Sakura's eye, who was looking at him with an expression he'd never seen before. She bit her lower lip and Kakashi's eyes drifted down to the motion. He cleared his throat, realising everyone was watching him.

"You really think so?" Sakura asked him quietly, a soft vulnerability in her voice.

Reluctantly he drew his eyes back to hers and gave a stiff nod. Thankfully, Obito broke the tension in the room and stole Sakura away into a conversation as Kakashi considered all the different ways he could torture Anko.

"It's not so hard to give her a compliment, Kakashi," Anko rolled her eyes. "God, you should see your face."

Kakashi clenched his jaw, looking back at Sakura, who had turned from him and he closed his eyes, realising she looked just as good from the back, and let out a pained sigh.

"Obito's right." Anko snorted. "You really are pathetic."

* * *

 **16 years old - Sakura  
Chunin**

* * *

Really, it was all Anko and Kurenai's fault. If she wasn't wearing this dress that made her feel like everyone was looking at her all the time she wouldn't have had to drink. Sakura became so self-conscious, and since it was a rare occasion they didn't have someone (like their crazy over-protective sensei's) supervising them, the party became alcoholic fairly quickly, and Sakura drank to forget how uncomfortable she felt.

She groaned as she rolled over on her bed, her eyes scrunching tightly shut she brought her hand to her face and tried to think of how she got home. Slowly she blinked and waited until her eyes adjusted to the light. Sakura shrieked and the other person in the room chuckled.

"Good morning."

Kakashi was sitting on her windowsill, book in hand, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Kakashi? What - "

He raised an eyebrow.

"You don't remember anything do you?"

Sakura's face burned red and she shook her head. He closed his book.

"I walked you home; you were hardly in a fit state to do so by yourself."

"But - but what are you doing here?" Sakura demanded.

He looked at her as if deciding what to say.

"You asked me to stay."

Sakura's eyes widened and her face burned even more red. She did…didn't she? Sakura could vaguely remember… the begging. She buried her face in her hands and moaned in complete mortification. Kakashi chuckled again and she threw a pillow at him.

"It's not funny, Kakashi!"

"You were very cute, how could I resist?"

Sakura took a deep breath and shook her head, laying back down and suddenly feeling very drained.

"You can go now," she mumbled.

She waited in the silence for a few moments before she peeked back at the windowsill and sighed with irritation that he was very settled in his place, using her pillow to rest his head against the pane.

"Kakashi," she said sternly. "You can go now."

He didn't even glance at her.

"You ought to wash up, we'll be late."

She frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You promised me breakfast."

Sakura stared dumbly at him, and then frowned and peeked under her blankets.

"Ah." He glanced at her with amusement. "You stripped."

Sakura gave a strangled scream and threw her other pillow at him.

"Get out!"


	5. Chapter 5

***ALWAYS YOU*  
FIVE  
**

* * *

 **16 years old - Kakashi  
ANBU**

* * *

"Kakashiiiiiii…"

Sakura slurred as she leaned heavily against him, while he attempted to get her home without her falling face-first into the ground.

"Yes, Sakura?" Kakashi sighed tiredly.

"I'm go-gonna be strong," she mumbled.

Kakashi frowned.

"Sakura, you are strong."

She sniffed and then hiccuped.

"Strong like you," she said.

He glanced down at her, wondering what she meant when she was far, far stronger than he would ever be, and saw that her brow was furrowed.

"You - you, Kakashi, you're the best."

"As nice as that is, Sakura, I really don't understand what you're talking about," Kakashi replied.

Drunkenly irritated, Sakura pushed herself off him, standing unsteadily on her feet and frowned, pointing a waving finger at him. Kakashi looked at her with his eyebrow's raised, ready to catch her when she inevitably fell over

"No, no, no, Kakashi Hata-Hatatake - " Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, concerned at how cute he was finding her in that moment of mispronunciation. " - You're the dream, goal dream-goal. I have to - to be better, 'cos you're the dream-goal."

She seemed very certain she was making sense, but he really didn't understand a word she said.

"The dream-goal?"

She nodded.

"Always dream," she sighed. "I wrote your name on a book."

Kakashi lunged forwards and swept an arm under her legs and around her shoulders, and Sakura fought his hold half-heartedly.

"You smell nice," she mumbled.

"You're very drunk," he replied dryly.

"Nope, not."

Kakashi chuckled.

"Okay, Sakura, whatever you say."

He looked down at her as she leaned her head into his chest.

"So you wrote my name on a book?"

She tiredly shook her head.

"Paper, in book."

"Ah." He still didn't quite understand. "So what makes me your dream-goal then?" He asked curiously.

Sakura drunk and honest and open was a rare, rare thing. He could only hope she didn't remember this in the morning.

"Strong." She rose her finger. "Here." She poked his chest and then raised it to his head. "And here." She poked his temple with a little smile. "You move like a riv-river. Flowy and pretty and sexy."

Kakashi paused slightly.

"Sexy?"

She hummed.

"I like your face, but you're an idiot."

"I feel like I'm getting mixed signals," Kakashi muttered.

He walked up the stairs to her apartment and stood at the door for a moment, unsure of what to do. If he let her go, he was afraid she'd fall over, but if he didn't he wouldn't be able to reach the key. He slowly lowered her to the ground, seating her against the door, and deftly brushed some hair back from her face and behind an ear. He was pleased to see the little smile on her face at the movement, even though her eyes were closed and she was all but sleeping.

He rummaged in the pot plant by the door for her spare key. Kakashi wondered if she was an idiot or a genius for keeping the spare in such an obvious place, but then again, anyone who tried to rob her of break into her apartment would end up in the hospital, and then be assaulted by the rest of her team, including Lady Tsunade and the Hokage. It definitely wasn't worth the risk. He opened the door and picked Sakura up again.

"Sakura, you're home."

She sleepily opened her eyes.

"Home?"

Kakashi nodded. She blinked a few times and looked around.

"Oh."

He helped her to her feet and watched with amusement as she staggered inside the house, straight to her kitchen and drank water from the tap. She gasped, and blinked, looking slightly more alive for a moment before she began to tip over. He caught her before she hit the ground, and she giggled in his arms. Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"I think it's time you get to bed, Sakura Haruno."

"Only with you," she murmured, smiling.

Again, Kakashi paused as she carried her, and looked down at her face which was snuggling against his collarbone and into his neck. His skin prickled and his face heated.

"God, you're going to kill me," Kakashi muttered.

He carried her into her room, and carefully laid her on her bed.

"Goodnight, Sakura," he said to her.

She snapped her eyes open.

"No!" She blurted out.

Kakashi stumbled back slightly shocked.

"What?!"

Sakura was suddenly on her knees, her hand reaching out for his wrist.

"Kakashi…" She breathed his name. "My shoes!"

He stared at her incredulously.

"What?"

She swallowed and closed her eyes a moment, seeming to struggle with common sense.

"I have to take off my shoes."

Kakashi sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sit on the bed. I'll do it. You're too drunk."

Sakura beamed.

"Okay!"

She fell on her side as she swung her legs clumsily around, giving Kakashi a full view of her shapely legs through the slit in the dress. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he crouched down and undid her shoes. He heard a snapping noise above and looked up to see Sakura frowning with annoyance and undoing her dress. He quickly removed her shoes and stepped back, looking away.

"What are you doing?" He whispered.

"I can't sleep with this on. It's choking me!" She grumbled.

Kakashi tried - not _very_ hard - not to peek at her as she shimmied out of the dress, leaving her in just her underwear and proceeded to slip into bed like that was totally normal and not one of the most _innocently seductive things he'd ever seen in his life._

"Kakashi," she mumbled from under the covers. "Come here."

"Why?" He asked in a strained voice.

"Kakashi!"

He sighed. She was using the voice that meant pain if he didn't do what she said. He turned to look at her, saw her outstretched hand and determined yet glazed over eyes, and allowed her to take his hand. He thought she just wanted to hold it, he didn't expect her to pull him on the bed beside her, and cuddle up to him like he was a teddy bear.

"Sakura, let me go please," he asked pleadingly.

"No," she replied like a child.

"Then…at least let me get under the blanket."

If she let him go, he could escape.

"No!"

She denied him loudly and he sighed.

"You have shoes on," she replied more quietly, resting her forehead on his back.

"Don't go," she whispered.

Kakashi frowned at the vulnerability in her voice. All night she'd been saying things he really didn't understand.

"I won't go, if you don't want me too. So can I take my shoes off? I'm cold."

There was a moment's quiet before she replied with, _"Ok,"_ in a small voice, and let him go.

With conflicted feelings, Kakashi slipped off his shoes, drew back the covers so he could get in. Sakura had moved over to make room for him in her little bed that was barely big enough for the both of them. He laid with his back to her, absolutely certain that it would be a huge mistake if he turned the other way, and then shivered when he felt her hand rest on his ribs.

"Goodnight, Sakura," he said quietly.

"Night, Kashi," she breathed.

He was never going to tell anyone about this ever, and especially not her.

* * *

 **17 years old - Sakura  
** **Jonin**

* * *

Sakura eyed the flowers with suspicion.

"What have you done?" She asked Kakashi.

"Done?" He questioned. "I haven't _done_ anything."

She narrowed her eyes. They were very pretty flowers…in fact, they were all her favourites.

"You must have done something," she said warily. "What else would the flowers be for?"

"I don't really have a reason," he shrugged. "I just wanted to give you flowers."

She peered at him, looking for something deceitful or mocking in his eyes or countenance, but she couldn't find any.

"You wanted to give me flowers?"

"Yes."

"Me?" She questioned, disbelievingly. _"You_ wanted to give _me_ flowers?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He looked at her.

"Do you not like or want them?"

He started to pull them back, and she was startled by the sudden uncertainty in his eyes. She quickly reached out.

"No, no. I didn't say that," she said, wrapping her hand around the bouquet. "I'm just - a little confused."

His eyes crinkled in a familiar smile.

"Have a good day, Sakura," he said warmly.

Kakashi turned and left and Sakura stared after him in utter confusion. She looked down at the flowers, and at Kakashi's departing back, and all she could think was _'what?'_

Three days later, he showed up with another bouquet of flowers, and two days after that, he gifted her a book which at first she thought was one of Jiraiya's erotic novels but turned out to be a very lovely romance story. Another week went by and Kakashi appeared on her doorstep with a box of dango and a single flower, with no more explanation than another warm look and a wish for a good day.

Sakura was at the ends of her wits. She was stressed, confused, anxious, hopeful, eager, self-deprecating. Her mind spun with the possibility that Kakashi was teasing her for some horrible reason, or that he might like her in his own roundabout way. But Kakashi liking her? She was warm and fuzzy and scared and couldn't accept that. He had always been so… well, he was out-of-reach in a lot of ways, but in all others, he was the biggest idiot of a genius she'd ever met.

Kakashi was many things, but he wasn't needlessly cruel. Even when he and Obito weren't really friends and all they did was fight, Kakashi's warnings and threats and everything he said was for a reason, she hoped so at least. Maybe not in the beginning, but definitely after the first year they were a team. So if he were teasing her with all these oddly romantic and strange gifts, Sakura was certain that if she was allowed, she'd murder him. It wasn't fair. But… friends didn't give these kinds of gifts, did they? Obito had never gotten her flowers before. She frowned. It was too confusing, Kakashi was so weird.

* * *

 **17 years old - Kakashi  
ANBU**

* * *

Kakashi was being dragged into the Hokage's office by the back of his collar, much to his annoyance, and it would be a pain to break free of Obito's irritatingly strong grip, so he stumbled along behind with a scowl on his face.

"Well, this isn't something I see every day," Minato-sensei's amused voice came from behind his desk.

Kakashi straightened his shirt and glowered at Obito.

"Sensei, you have to _do something_ ," Obito said dramatically.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, and Minato quirked an eyebrow with amusement.

"About what exactly?" He asked.

"Kakashi is - "

Before he could finish his sentence, Kakashi slapped a hand hard over Obito's mouth. Obito yelped in pain and then turned his eyes on Kakashi in a glare, and ripped Kakashi's hand away.

"Kakashi is - "

Kakashi knew it was ridiculous and childish, but he jumped on Obito to stop him from talking. They grappled on the floor of the Hokage's office.

"Kakashi is what?" Minato asked, making no attempt to stop them.

" _Is - in love - with - S - Sakura!_ " Obito managed to get out after a while.

Kakashi slumped his shoulder in defeat and sat back while Obito shook his head at him and gave Kakashi a little kick in the side for good measure.

"And he's just figured this out now?" Minato asked.

Kakashi snapped his head up to his sensei and glared. Obito snorted and Minato gave an apologetic chuckle.

"So what's happened then?" Minato asked.

Obito looked at Kakashi expectantly, and Kakashi sighed heavily and got to his feet.

"Nothing," he muttered.

Obito rolled his eyes.

"First he got her flowers, and then a book, and chocolates, and more flowers and dango, of all things."

Obito counted off Kakashi's attempts of displaying his feelings like they were insignificant and Kakashi's ears burned red.

"That's very romantic, Kakashi," Minato commented, smiling slyly.

Kakashi gave him another glare but couldn't speak from embarrassment.

"It's not romantic!" Obito exclaimed. "He hasn't _said_ anything to her! Just _'have a good day'_ and some crap like that, and now I have to listen to Sakura be all ' _what the hell is going on? Does he like me?_ ' and all confused because _he's_ a moron who can't speak."

Kakashi thought the wall looked very interesting.

"Ah. I see." Minato was holding back a laugh. "So then what do you think I should do about it?"

"Well you're the Hokage, can't you like order him to confess like a _man,"_ Obito looked pointedly at him. "Or something?"

Kakashi considered perfecting a new water jutsu to become a puddle.

"Well, I could I suppose," Minato mused.

Kakashi looked at him, betrayed.

"But, considering Sakura has been listening to everything you said, I don't think that will be necessary."

There was a moment of silence. Kakashi's eyes slowly widened as he saw Minato glance down, and noticed the little tuft of pink hair visible from behind his desk.

"Sakura?" Obito spluttered.

"She's been here filling out some paperwork and healing up my foot," Minato explained.

Sakura popped her head up from behind Minato's chair, her face burning red. She cleared her throat and looked at the ceiling.

"Oh, no," Obito murmured in quiet despair.

Kakashi's entire body felt like it was on fire. He slowly tried to back away, but Obito caught him by the collar again.

"Well." Minato stood. "I think we should go for a walk, Obito."

"Good idea, sensei," he replied brightly. He gave Kakashi a warning glare. "You _stay_."

"But - but sensei, I haven't finished with your foot," Sakura tried desperately to stop them.

"Oh, no, don't worry. I'm sure Naruto will somehow manage to drop something else on it tomorrow," he said easily.

The door behind them closed and they stood in the room, looking at everything but each other until the silence became unbearable. Kakashi had never felt more awkward in his entire life.

"If, if - "

Kakashi risked a glance at Sakura, who was blushing furiously. She caught his eye and stomped over to him. Kakashi, only slightly terrified, shrunk back from her suddenly intensely furious glare.

"If you wanted to date me you should've just asked, _you idiot_!"

She raised her hand and then, instead of the punch he was expecting, she lightly chopped his head, and then scrunched up her nose and twisted her mouth in what was either fury or embarrassment and walked away. She pulled open the door with incredible strength that broke the handle, proceeded to kick it, much to the surprise of the eavesdropping ANBU guards outside, and just before she ran off, stuck her head back in the office and said quietly:

"If you did, I would say yes."

Kakashi didn't think he could like her more.


	6. Chapter 6

***ALWAYS YOU*  
SIX: EPILOGUE  
**

* * *

 **20 years old - Kakashi  
ANBU**

* * *

Kakashi sat with his legs crossed on the floor of Sakura's room, his fingers trailing along the spines of the books on her shelf while she sat at her desk and poured over a medical textbook. He glanced at her and saw that her leg was shaking as she concentrated, with a small huff of annoyance she brushed her hair back over her shoulder and out of her eyes. He gave her a secret, fond smile before turning back to the books.

He noticed one of the books was just slightly more worn than the others and pulled it out carefully, knowing that Sakura was as particular with her books as he was with his own - it made him curious. He held it at the top with his fingers, and from the bottom, a small sheet of paper fell from it. He glanced at Sakura to see if she noticed anything, but she was absorbed in her book she hadn't noticed anything, and he slowly placed the book back in its place and then picked up the paper. He blinked in surprise when he saw his own name written on it, in a neat but obviously childish script.

Immediately his mind snapped back to four years earlier on that drunken night where she had spoken absolute nonsense during the night. Things started to click: _this_ is what she'd meant when she said something about writing his name on a paper in a book. He wondered when she'd written it. Judging the script, probably while she was at the academy. That made him feel a little warm inside. He gave a low hum, drawing Sakura's attention.

"What's this then?" He asked, smiling and flashing the paper at her.

He enjoyed the way that her eyes went from annoyed to wide in shock and embarrassment.

"What? What are you doing with that?"

Her eyes darted to the book it came from.

"Oh, nothing," Kakashi replied. "Just wondering how old you were when you wrote this?"

She looked slightly alarmed for a moment before her face softened.

"It was the day you graduated," she replied, her eyes glazing for a moment with memory.

"What for? Something about me being a dream-goal?" Kakashi asked teasingly.

She frowned.

"What?"

"Oh, I suppose I never really told you about what happened that night when we were sixteen and you were drunk out of your mind," he teased lightly.

She tilted her head thoughtfully.

"Didn't you tell me I stripped?"

Kakashi raised a cheeky eyebrow.

"Maybe if you reenact it you'll remember."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Nice try," she chuckled. She held out her hand. "Can I have that? It's…important."

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Sakura sighed. "So what do you want then?"

"Tell me what it is first," Kakashi insisted. He was very curious. "Maybe I'll tell you a secret afterward."

Sakura looked at him with interest.

"A real secret? Not a silly made-up story?"

He smiled coyly. She knew him too well.

"Yes, a real secret."

It was too much for her to resist, she nodded and then bit her lip.

"It's a reminder," she answered with some embarrassment.

She gave a little moan of self-consciousness and her face went pink.

"You were always so much better than everyone else. I wanted to be a great shinobi too. So -" she cleared her throat, "I wrote your name down to remind myself that one day I wanted to be good enough that you would see me as an equal."

She scratched her arm nervously and giggled.

"And do you still think that now?" Kakashi questioned.

She looked at him in surprise.

"Sometimes," she mumbled, looking away.

Kakashi took a deep breath.

"Sakura, how can you have so much doubt in yourself? I'm really not special at all. You're the one who has perfect chakra control, is a medical ninjutsu prodigy and has surpassed Lady Tsunade, one of the _Sannin._ "

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"And _you're_ the son of the White Fang, who was just as strong as the Sannin."

Kakashi winced slightly, but he didn't say anything. He knew that Sakura and Obito thought his father was a hero, and slowly he was trying to see it the same way.

 _"_ _And_ you're the student of the Yellow Flash - "

"So are you," he pointed out.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"You graduated at _six,_ Kakashi."

 _"You_ graduated at eight."

Sakura threw her hands up in the air.

"You're just… _ugh."_

Kakashi placed the paper on the top of her bookshelf and stood. She watched him as he moved toward her, pulled her to her feet and then wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"I used to watch you training in the forest in the academy," he whispered.

She jerked at his admission.

"I wanted to talk to you so badly, but I couldn't figure out what to say. I always thought you were brilliant."

She stiffened in his arms.

"You were spying on me?"

"It's always been you for me, Sakura," he breathed.

Slowly he felt Sakura arms raise into an embrace around his waist, and she held him tightly. He pulled back and kissed the diamond on her forehead, and saw her was a mix of embarrassed and pleased and disbelieving. He gave a low chuckle.

"You reached your goal a long time ago, Sakura," he said quietly. "I should be the one trying to reach you. Shinobi like me are everywhere, but there's only one of you."

She rolled her eyes, not quite believing him but pleased he said it and reached up on her tip-toes to kiss him softly on the cheek.

* * *

 **22 years old - Sakura  
Jonin**

* * *

Sakura was hyperventilating. She looked at the paper and shook her head.

"No." She looked up at Tsunade. "Not possible."

Tsunade gave her an unimpressed look.

"The longer you freak out, the more you're going to irritate me. The results are not wrong. Stop being a child."

"But - but, this is - "

"A blessing," Tsunade said quietly. "Sakura, you're pregnant, not dying."

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat.

"But, Kakashi, he's - "

"If that boy doesn't man up, he'll have the entire village hunting him down," Tsunade said, cracking her knuckles in her palm. "Besides, he wouldn't know what to do with himself without you. It would be the biggest mistake of his life to leave in because of this, and he knows it."

Sakura gnawed on her bottom lip anxiously.

"Go home, Sakura. Tell him the good news."

"What does it mean for me?" She whispered. "I can work, right?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Of course you can. A baby doesn't mean your life ends."

A little breath of relief came from her and she nodded.

"Okay, okay," she looked down at her stomach and tentatively placed a hand on it. "I'm going to have a baby."

She looked up at Lady Tsunade with watering eyes. Tsunade gave her a surprisingly gentle look.

"Congratulations, Sakura."

Sakura finally allowed herself to smile. She didn't tell anyone for several days, and even then, it wasn't Kakashi that she told first. Her nerves got the better of her every time she saw him. It wasn't fair, she knew that, but for some reason, her throat closed up and her mind spun and all her insecurities rose and devoured her rational brain.

They'd been together, officially as a couple, for five years, but neither of them had spoken about a family before. They hadn't even spoken about marriage. Sakura loved him more than anything in the world, but she knew that Kakashi wasn't the kind of person that she could push those things on. He loved her, but he did things in his own way at his own pace. Obito's sacrifice had changed him in many ways, and for that she was grateful, but he was still Kakashi: a stubborn, idiot genius, who was slightly unpredictable and didn't like to be told anything. She had no idea if he'd be happy or not to find out he was going to be a father, out of the blue. Her distracted mind didn't register that she'd wandered all the way to a house that wasn't her own until she walked inside and heard a surprised voice greeting her.

"Sakura?"

Sakura blinked and looked up to see a woman she considered like an elder sister and her five-year-old son.

"Hey! Sakura!"

Naruto beamed at her and ran over to her. Sakura blinked in shock, patting Naruto's head distractedly as he hugged her legs.

"Hello Naruto," she said. "Hey, Kushina."

Kushina walked over to her, concern in her eyes but a bright smile on her face.

"I wasn't expecting you!" Kushina gushed. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto let her go and Sakura embraced Kushina in a quick hug, squeezing tightly.

"I just ended up here," she shrugged when she let go.

Kushina looked at her with thought.

"Hmm. Well, it looks like you could use some good company."

Kushina dragged her into the kitchen with Naruto following behind.

"Mama, mama, can I go play with Sasuke?" Naruto begged his mother.

Kushina glanced between Sakura and Naruto and nodded.

"Be back by dinner," she warned him. "If I hear you pulled any pranks, you'll be in big trouble, ya know?"

Naruto nodded.

"Yep! Okay. Bye Sakura!"

"Bye Naruto," Sakura waved.

The door slammed and Kushina sighed.

"He's got so much energy, ya know?" She laughed. "I love him to bits!"

Sakura grinned.

"He's just like you."

"So what's happened?" Kushina asked, picking up her ladle and stirring the pot she was cooking lunch in. "You look worried about something."

Sakura bit her lip.

"I - I - "

She took a deep breath.

"Kushina, I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

Kushina stared at her for a moment, and then her eyes brightened and her smile widened and her entire face lit up.

"Sakura! That's amazing! Congratulations!" She burst out.

Sakura gave a tight smile and Kushina frowned.

"Are you… not happy?" Kushina asked worriedly.

"No, I am," Sakura said. "I just - I - "

"Ooohh," Kushina said. "You haven't told Kakashi!"

Sakura shook her head.

"Why not?" Kushina questioned.

"I don't - What if - I'm scared," Sakura whispered, putting her face in her hands.

She suddenly felt Kushina's arms around her and Sakura leaned into the hug, trembling slightly with unshed tears.

"Oh, Sakura," Kushina soothed her, brushing her fingers through her hair. "I understand. I was a little nervous to tell Minato too, ya know?"

"Really?" Sakura sniffed.

Kushina nodded.

"Yep. But you know what I thought to myself?"

Sakura shook her head.

"I thought, this is the man I love, so I believe in him and the strength of our feelings together. Naruto was created with love, just like your little baby," she said with a smile.

Sakura gave her a grateful little smile.

"Thanks, Kushina."

Kushina turned her head slightly.

"Minato's home for lunch," she said. "Want to stay and eat with us? He'd be so happy if you told him the good news!"

Sakura hesitated.

"I should... maybe I should tell Kakashi first."

Kushina waved her hand dismissively.

"You know I'm going to tell him anyway, so why don't you just say it now?"

Sakura slumped in defeat, a small, exasperated smile on her face.

"For a shinobi, you're not very good at keeping secrets, Kushina," Sakura laughed a little.

"Tell me what?"

Both women turned to see Minato striding into the kitchen, still dressed in his white Hokage coat. Sakura and Kushina shared and glance and Kushina nodded encouragingly at her. Sakura took a deep breath, finding herself quite excited to tell her sensei and someone she looked up to almost like a father, or uncle or family. Minato's reaction was overflowing joy and a big hug. Sakura hoped that Kakashi's would be the same.

* * *

 **22 years old - Kakashi  
ANBU**

* * *

Kakashi frowned unhappily, sitting on a bench in the ANBU changing room, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin on his fist.

"Captain, you seem unhappy."

Kakashi pursed his lips.

"What gives you that impression?"

He turned to the youngest member of his team, Itachi Uchiha. Itachi tilted his head slightly to the side in the way he did when he was trying to figure out if Kakashi was serious or not. He'd been on the same team for almost a year now and had everyone else's personalities pinpointed except Kakashi's, something Kakashi was quite proud about considering Itachi's genius.

"It's quite obvious. Is it something to do with Miss Sakura?" He inquired, his eyes sparkling slightly with cheekiness.

Kakashi glanced at him, and then around.

"There's no one else here at the moment if that's what you're wondering," Itachi said easily.

Kakashi wondered if the Uchiha would mind if he locked their heir in a headlock and messed up his precious, perfect hair. He let out a sigh.

" _Miss Sakura_ ," he said using Itachi's title of his precious girlfriend, "is avoiding me, little Uchiha, and I'm not sure why. I don't suppose with all your twelve years of life you can explain the subtleties of women, do you?"

Itachi's lips twitched and he shook his head.

"I apologise, Captain. I do not know. Perhaps, flowers… or dango?" He said with a frown.

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow.

"Dango?" He smirked. "Oooh, is that how it is with that Uchiha girl Shisui told me about?"

Itachi's cheeks blushed red.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied evenly.

Kakashi grinned and he stood, patting Itachi on the head and Itachi grimaced with annoyance at the action.

"Sure you don't, kid," Kakashi chuckled. "Go home, Itachi. Your brother's waiting for you."

"Go home, Captain, Miss Sakura is waiting for you," Itachi muttered, half-serious, half-mocking.

Kakashi was surprised to see Sakura loitering out by the place he usually exited the ANBU headquarters from. He watched her for a moment, as she paced, looking anxious and upset. He frowned, feeling a tightening in his chest. Something was wrong.

"Sakura?" He called to her softly from the shadows of the alleyway he stood in.

She looked over at him, and stood still, waiting for him to come out. It was odd to see her there when she knew it was frowned on to do what she was doing.

"Do you want to walk with me?" She asked him quietly, looking at him with anxiety in her eyes.

He nodded and they fell in step together. He followed her lead, and silently they walked in the direction of the academy.

"Did you have a good day?" She asked, unusually timid.

"Yes…" he replied. "Did you?"

"I suppose," she said distractedly.

The academy grounds were occupied with groups of students, practicing or watching or talking.

"Have - have you thought much about the future?" Sakura asked him out of the blue.

Kakashi peered at her.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" He asked her, folding his arms over his chest. She looked at him in surprise. "You've been avoiding me and now you're asking weird questions. What happened?"

She gave a wry smile.

"We've never really talked about the future," she said slowly. "Not really."

"I suppose not," Kakashi replied, warily.

"I just, you know, I don't want you to feel like - like you're trapped or something," she said, looking down. "Because, well, I'm not trying to make you do something you don't want to do, and I mean, you could walk away at any time and I guess I'd just have to deal with that since it's not my choice it's yours, but I'd probably - no, I'd _definitely_ be really upset and — "

"Sakura, slow down." Kakashi placed both his hands on her shoulders. "You're rambling."

Sakura blinked and gave a slow nod and took a deep breath.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, Sakura. Just, tell me what you're thinking, because you didn't make any sense to me at all," Kakashi said with a gentle smile.

She took another breath and he released her shoulders.

"Kakashi… how would you feel if in, about… five years and six months we have one of those things...here?" Sakura said.

Kakashi looked at her in confusion.

"What?"

She cleared her throat.

"Like… a kid. That belonged to us. Doing kid things."

Kakashi's eyes flickered behind her, through the academy fence at the kids in the academy grounds, and then back to Sakura.

"Five years and six months?" He asked.

"Approximately," she mumbled, her cheeks going pink.

He looked back at the kids and then back at Sakura. He kept looking at her and then his eyes fell to where her hands moved to hold her stomach, and then he looked back at her face. She was looking ay him with a small wince, almost apologetic, and it slowly dawned on him what she was trying to tell him.

"Five years and six months?" He repeated.

"Yes…" she trailed off. "Approximately."

Kakashi cleared his throat.

"There - There are other things to do before academy enrolment though, right?" He asked, feeling hot and itchy and strange, but also light and happy and nervous and happy.

"I…guess?" Sakura replied uncertainly.

Kakashi nodded.

"Yeah. Like… names." He said. "And, um. A house, and probably toys and a bed and birthdays."

Sakura looked at him.

"A house?"

He nodded again.

"Yeah, f-families live in houses," he stammered. "Together."

There was a little light in her eyes.

"Families," she repeated. "Kakashi," she whispered. "We're going to have a baby."

"We're going to have a baby," he copied automatically.

"Are you… okay?" She asked, that same nervous vulnerability was in her eyes and it made him annoyed at himself.

Kakashi suddenly felt like he snapped back to reality.

"Sakura. You're pregnant," he said, a smiling forming on his face. He scooped her into a big hug, surprising her and she yelped and laughed. "You're pregnant!"

And then, just as suddenly as he had lifted her up, he dropped her and stared at her seriously. Now was as good a time as ever, he quickly decided.

"We should get married."

Her jaw dropped.

"What?"

Kakashi swallowed.

"Well. I've been carrying around this ring for a few weeks," he laughed nervously, pulling out a ring from his jacket pocket.

Sakura stared at it dumbly.

"What?"

"So?" He smiled. "How about it?"

Sakura looked up at him and started crying. Kakashi was hit with a wave of confusion and worry and thoughts of failure and terror at what to do. Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck and he stumbled slightly.

"We're going to get married!" She squealed in his ear. "And we're having a baby!"

Kakashi's shock faded as he held her in his arms.

"Of course we are," he nuzzled her neck. "You're my family, Sakura. It's always been you."

"Love you, Kashi," she whispered.

"I love you, too."


End file.
